Align Digestive Care – probiotic supplement – Not all probiotics are created equal – for optimal results, strain specificity and quantity are critical as well as viability at the time of consumption (bacteria must be alive to be effective).

Ascenta NutraSea fish oils – Not all fish oils are created equal – what matters is purity (look for “pure √” symbol), concentration, and how it is processed to prevent oxidation.

Dr. Khalsa’s Vitamin D3 – Low Vitamin D is implicated in everything from ADD/ADHD, cancer risk and survival, and hormonal health. This site offers a test kit to test your levels, a book and supplements for further information and treatment.

Yummy Earth Organic Candy – lollipops, gummy bears and gummy worms – a candy you can feel better about because they are organic with no artificial coloring and per portion are lower in sugar than other candy – a treat for kids and adults alike!

This week the Center for Science in the Public Interest updated the findings of its’ historic study about the caloric and fat overload found in many a movie-goer’s favorite treat – popcorn.

Among the findings are that:

The ‘bag ‘o corn’ is really a thrice super-sized nightmare: “You MAY be eating three McDonald’s Quarter Pounders with 12 pats of butter while watching a movie…that food is nutritionally comparable to what you’d find in a medium popcorn and soda combo at Regal, the country’s biggest movie theater chain: 1,610 calories and three days’ worth—60 grams—of saturated fat. (Nutrition aside, that combo costs $12—for raw ingredients that must cost Regal pennies.)”

The advertised nutrition information is incorrect “Regal says that its medium popcorn has 720 calories and that its large has 960. But CSPI’s lab tests found that those numbers were understated. Regal’s medium and large sizes each had 1,200 calories and, thanks to being popped in coconut oil, 60 grams of saturated fat. (The large size looks bigger, thanks to its titanic tub, but it costs a dollar more and comes with a free refill.) A “small” at Regal has 670 calories and 34 grams of saturated fat. That’s about as many calories as a Pizza Hut Personal Pan Pepperoni Pizza—except the popcorn has three times the saturated fat.

Mind Your Manners
Talking while you’re eating, chewing gum, smoking and drinking through a straw can all cause you to swallow excess air, leaving you bloated and uncomfortable.

Great Things DO Come in Small Packages
Allow yourself to enjoy occasional treats, but limit yourself to just a taste or bite. The smaller portion will be better for your digestive system and prevent excess bloating.

Find Your Inner Balance
Of bacteria, that is. It’s important to have a good balance of beneficial bacteria (“probiotics”) in our digestive systems. When used daily as directed, a daily probiotic supplement like Align with Bifantis, can help restore a natural balance with ongoing probiotic protection.

How Sweet It Is
Keep this in mind the next time you go for a treat. Sugars, dried fruit, sweeteners, and juice are treats that may not be friendly to all digestive systems. Carbonated drinks like sugary sodas will make your stomach puffy and distended. Keep it simple – stick to water with lemon or herbal tea.

Spice Things Up
Spices don’t just make your food taste good, they’re important for your overall health too. Ginger and tumeric have anti-inflammatory properties, while caraway, cumin and cinnamon play a role in digestion and can help with weight management. Adding different spices to your meals and snacks can help spice things up … the right way.

Don’t Feel Weighed Down by Bloating
Hop on the treadmill, hit the dance floor or just run around with your nieces and nephews – anything. Working up a sweat releases fluids your body might be holding, and just 20 to 30 minutes of exercise each day can help to move food along your digestive tract so bloating won’t weigh you down.

According to Kellogg’s, their kid’s cereals contain vitamins that “help support immunity” …AKA says NO WAY!

Whether it’s gummy candies fortified with vitamins or cereals done the same way – the KEY ISSUE is the SUGAR.

We know that while vitamins MAY help – and this depends on quality and dosage – support the immune system, we know for CERTAIN that SUGAR suppresses the immune system and feeds the bad bacteria often responsible for colds (not a virus).

Parents who want sure fire immune supportive solutions should look to Nature’s Candy bowl – fruits in a variety of colors, nuts and seeds – as well as limiting the amount of sugar their child consumes…think Apples vs Apple Jacks!

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The question of to Agave or Not continues to come up -and while the official
verdict may not be out there yet, I wanted to weigh-in beyond my original
blog. The most important things to take from this article and the issue:

know where your ingredient comes from – Organic (USDA logo)…with AKA I investigate not just “what” the ingredients are but where’s their source so my list should be a useful tool when choosing agave containing products.

blends do not confer the same nutritional benefits as the single ingredient – for example, if something contains organic agave but also maple syrup or additional fructose or a sugar alcohol (ie sorbitol) the product does NOT have the same glycemic load as organic agave alone

quantity is still the key concept. If we over consume agave at an eating occasion or during the week, we have over consumed bringing up issues such as imbalanced blood sugar, extra weight, higher fat mass, insulin resistance.